Featured in Fault lines – 11-2025

Sodium not quite a li-ion tamer

A new generation of sodium-ion (Na-ion) battery cells has been launched as an alternative to the virtual monopoly of lithium-ion (Li-ion). Although the technology is unlikely to displace significant Li-ion market share, recent improvements make Na-ion a viable solution for certain niche applications, with potential for wider usage if cost becomes competitive.

By

pv magazine

03 Nov 2025

The basic structure of Na-ion batteries closely resembles that of Li-ion batteries, consisting of positive and negative electrodes, an electrolyte, and a separator. Round-trip efficiencies are similar to Li-ion at 90-plus percentages, but sodium’s larger particle size results in Na-ion batteries being bulkier and heavier. Hithium’s one-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) was the latest …

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